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The TCL 10 Series redefines affordable flagships (Update: North America date)
Update, May 15, 2020 (04:30 PM ET): Originally, TCL only gave us a vague idea of release dates for its new TCL 10 series of smartphones. Now, though, we have a more specific date for at least two of the phones in one area of the world.
According to GSM Arena, the TCL 10 Pro and 10L will hit stores in North America on May 19. As stated below, the two phones will cost $449 and $249 respectively. You’ll be able to buy the phones from the usual retailers, including Amazon.com. There’s no word on carrier partnerships here in the US yet, but there will be some carrier availability in Canada.
Original article, April 6, 2020 (09:00 AM ET): TCL gave us a sneak peak at its 10 Series smartphones during CES 2020. Today, the company fully revealed its affordable lineup, which includes three new phones: the TCL 10 5G, the 10 Pro, and the 10L. The trio shares the same basic mix of features, such as TCL Display-sourced screens, Snapdragon 700/600 series processors, and quad-camera setups on the rear.
Let’s dive in and see what makes the TCL 10 Series tick.
First to 5G
The TCL 10 5G is, as the name suggests, a 5G-capable smartphone and the first such device from TCL. The 5G radio (bands n1/3/8/28/77/78) can handle up to 2.3Gbps downloads, as long as the network does. Speaking of networks, TCL is playing coy on naming in which markets the 10 5G will be able to surf at warp speed.
The phone has a 6.53-inch Full HD+ display with a 91% screen-to-body ratio. It is powered by a Snapdragon 765G processor with 6GB of memory and 128GB of storage. A 4,500mAh battery with QuickCharge 3.0 provides the TCL 10 5G with the juice it needs to get through the day.
TCL opted for a big megapixel count for its premier phone. Four cameras adorn the rear, a 64MP main, 118-degree 8MP ultra-wide, 5MP macro, and 2MP low-light sensor. The phone can capture video up to 4K at 30fps. On the front, you’ll find a 16MP selfie camera.
Other features include Android 10 and TCL UI, 3.5mm headphone jack, dual-band WiFi, and support for microSD cards. The TCL 10 5G will be available in select markets later this year for €399/£399.
See also: 5G networks deploying faster than 4G | Best 5G phones you can buy
Going Pro
The TCL 10 Pro is the first phone from the company to offer a curved AMOLED screen. The 6.47-inch Full HD panel is certified to support HDR10 content from the likes of Netflix, making the phone a natural for entertainment. TCL developed an Edge Bar that makes app shortcuts easy to locate. Bezels are kept to an absolute minimum, giving the phone a screen-to-body ratio of 93%. The screen also hides the phone’s fingerprint sensor, which is buried under the glass.
A Snapdragon 675 processor with 6GB of memory and 128GB of storage powers the phone. It’s a little concerning that TCL opted for a 2018-era processor. Hopefully, the decision won’t come back to bite it. The TCL 10 Pro has the same 4,500mAh battery with QuickCharge 3.0 found in the 5G model.
TCL changed up the camera equation a bit. The 10 Pro also has a 64MP main camera, but the 123-degree ultra-wide has a 16MP sensor. The 5MP macro and 2MP low-light sensors are the same, but the selfie camera jumps to 24MP. People who buy the 10 Pro will be able to capture video up to 4K at 30fps.
Other features mirror those of the 10G. That means Android 10 with the TCL UI (with a promise to update to Android 11), 3.5mm headphone jack, WiFi, Bluetooth 5.0, and support for microSD cards. It will be available in Europe, North America, Australia, and the UK beginning in the second quarter for €449/$449/£399.
See also: What’s new on Netflix April 2020
Taking the L
Last in this trio of TCL 10 Series phones is the 10L. It carries over the same 6.53-inch Full HD+ display with a 91% screen-to-body ratio as the 5G model, but drops the processor down to the Snapdragon 665. It offers the same 6GB of memory and 128GB of storage as the others, though a 64GB variant will also be available.
The camera configuration downgrades the sensors yet again. The 10L has a 48MP main camera, an 8MP ultra-wide, a 2MP macro, and a 2MP low-light. It can record 4K video at up to 30fps, or 720p video at up to 240fps for cool slow-motion footage. The selfie camera rates 16MP.
Rounding out the basics, the TCL 10L also features Android 10 with TCL UI, Bluetooth 5, WiFi, microSD card support, and a rear-mounted fingerprint reader. The 10L will be sold in Europe, North America, Australia, and the UK beginning in the second quarter for €249/$249/£199.
TCL 10 Series: Specs
| TCL 10 5G | TCL 10 Pro | TCL 10L | |
|---|---|---|---|
Display | TCL 10 5G 6.53-in LCD Full HD+ (2,340 x 1,080) 19.5:9 aspect ratio 395ppi 91% screen-to-body 450 nits | TCL 10 Pro 6.47-in AMOLED Full HD+ (2,340 x 1,080) 19.5:9 aspect ratio 398ppi 93% screen-to-body | TCL 10L 6.53-in LCD Full HD+ (2,340 x 1,080) 19.5:9 aspect ratio 395ppi |
Processor | TCL 10 5G CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G Octa-core Kryo 460 GPU: Adreno 620 | TCL 10 Pro CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 Octa-core Kryo 460 GPU: Adreno 612 | TCL 10L CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 Octa-core Kryo 260 GPU: Adreno 610 |
RAM | TCL 10 5G 6GB | TCL 10 Pro 6GB | TCL 10L 6GB |
Storage | TCL 10 5G 128GB MicroSD up to 1TB | TCL 10 Pro 128GB MicroSD up to 256GB | TCL 10L 64 / 128GB |
Cameras | TCL 10 5G Rear: 64MP main: 79.8-degree FoV, f/1.89, 0.8 micron pixel size, 1/1.72-inch sensor size 8MP ultra wide: 118-degree FoV, f/2.2, 1.12 micron pixel size, 1/4-inch sensor size 5MP macro: f/2.2, 1.12 micron pixel size, 1/5-inch sensor size 2MP depth: f/2.4, 1.75 micron pixel size, 1/5-inch sensor size Front: 16MP: 79-degree FoV, f/2.2, 1.0 micron, 1/3.06-inch sensor size Video: 1080p @ 30fps, 720p @ 30fps | TCL 10 Pro Rear: 64MP main: 79-degree FoV, f/1.79, 0.8 micron pixel size, 1/1.7-inch sensor size 16MP ultra wide: 123-degree FoV, f/2.4, 1.0 micron pixel size, 1/3-inch sensor size 2MP macro: f/2.2, 1.12 micron pixel size, 1/5-inch sensor size 2MP depth: f/1.8, 2.9 micron pixel size, 1/2.8-inch sensor size Front: 24MP: 79.6-degree FoV, f/2.0, 0.9 micron, 1/2.8-inch sensor size Video: 4K @ 30fps, 1080p @ 30fps, 720p @ 30fps | TCL 10L Rear: 48MP main: 79-degree FoV, f/1.8, 0.8 micron pixel size, 1/2.25-inch sensor size 8MP ultra wide: 118-degree FoV, f/2.2, 1.12 micron pixel size, 1/4-inch sensor size 2MP macro: f/2.4, 1.65 micron pixel size, 1/5-inch sensor size 2MP depth: f/2.4, 1.65 micron pixel size, 1/5-inch sensor size Front: 16MP: 76-degree FoV, f/2.2, 1.0 micron, 1/3.1-inch sensor size Video: 4K @ 30fps, 1080p @ 120fps, 720p @ 240fps |
Battery | TCL 10 5G 4,500mAh Quick Charge 3.0 9V2A | TCL 10 Pro 4,500mAh Quick Charge 3.0 OTG Reverse Charging 5V/1.5A | TCL 10L 4,000mAh |
Wireless | TCL 10 5G Sub-6GHz 5G (Bands n1, n3, n8, n28, n77, n78) LTE 4G Dual-band WiFi Bluetooth 5 w/aptX, LDAC, Super Bluetooth | TCL 10 Pro LTE 4G Dual-band WiFi Bluetooth 5 w/aptX, LDAC, Super Bluetooth | TCL 10L LTE 4G Dual-band WiFi Bluetooth 5 w/aptX, LDAC, Super Bluetooth |
Colors | TCL 10 5G Chrome Blue, Mercury Gray | TCL 10 Pro Forest Mint Green, Ember Gray | TCL 10L Arctic White, Mariana Blue |
Dimensions | TCL 10 5G 163.65 x 76.56 x 9.05mm | TCL 10 Pro 158.5 x 72.4 x 9.2mm | TCL 10L 162.2 x 75.6 x 8.4mm |
Weight | TCL 10 5G 210g | TCL 10 Pro 177g | TCL 10L 180G |
| TCL 10 5G | TCL 10 Pro | TCL 10L |
TCL 10 Series: Moving the bar
TCL is clearly moving into the middle of the market with these phones. Where it forged a solid reputation making entry-level fare under the Alcatel brand and flagship class with its foray into BlackBerry, we now see TCL looking to take advantage of its growing brand power. We look forward to seeing just how well these phones perform in the months ahead.